Question

In: Biology

Substrate feeders such as earthwormm (A) eat mostly mineral substances. (B) filter small organisms from damp...

Substrate feeders such as earthwormm

(A) eat mostly mineral substances.
(B) filter small organisms from damp earth.
(C) are herbivores and thus eat autotrophs.
(D) move and eat through the food.

The answer is (D).
May I ask why (A) and (B) are false?

Solutions

Expert Solution

Option A is not true as the earthworm being a deposit feeder(a special type of substrate feeder), eats the soil which contains both organic and inorganic matter. It digests the organic matter and excretes the inorganic matter. As minerals are inorganic matter they are not digested even if taken up with the soil material as food.

Option B is also not true, as the organisms do not filter any substance from the soil and eat them, rather they eat partially degraded matter, or the soil as a whole which contains these microorganisms and later derive their nutrition from these microorganisms.

So option A and B are not correct.

Option C is also incorrect as earthworms are not herbivores, they feed on organic matter containing microorganisms and also on fruits, berries, dead grass, leaves.

option D is correct as it is a substrate feeder which means they live on the material that they eat. So they move and eat through food is correct.


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